Last night at dinner, the following conversation occurred.Otto: How was your day at school?Chickadee: Terrible.Otto: Really?Chickadee: No. Just messing with you.Otto: And how was YOUR day at school?Monkey: It was good. How was YOUR day at school?Otto: It went well. Thank you.*here there was a pause, as everyone turned to look at me*Otto: Do you feel left out?Me: A little!

Of course, Monkey’s “day at school” yesterday was on the computer, but today, EVERYONE WENT TO SCHOOL. I’ve been alone all day and it’s rather glorious. (I’m hoping the new co-op goes well for Monkey, as I’ll be treasuring the one day each week where I don’t have to listen to Minecraft stories.)

This morning I packed lunches for my darling children, and then Chickadee put on her shoes to go wait for the bus, and because I was still barefoot, this made her taller than me. THIS WAS NOT OKAY. Shortly thereafter, Monkey put on his shoes, and that made him almost my height, and that was even WORSE. The saddest part about all of this is that I’m a dirty enabler, constantly FEEDING these kids and encouraging them to grow. I am ashamed. But not so ashamed that I won’t tell you how we do it, because misery loves company.

I’m now the shortest one in my family. So sad. And my DH is now officially the second shortest. 14 yo boy-child, who I swear, was just heading off to kindergarten a few days ago, is now taller than both his parents (and taller than his older brother was at this age… wonder which one will end up tallest).

Our 11 year old daughter is now taller than me (I’m 5’4″), and today I bought her a new bike which is probably bigger than mine… I told her she has to take care of me now that she’s bigger. She said she would make me pancakes for breakfast tomorrow! \o/

There are times I wish I could take a magic carpet ride back to when I still had 4 littlies that depended on me for their every morsel and then I read your blog and the great memories of nostalgia vs reality come awake to make me go, oh, yeah, I was a walking insomniac feeling like it was me against the world at mealtimes. Thank you for the fantasy buster, and I am NOT being sarcastic!! BTW, you are doing it exactly right. In hind sight I can tell you this with a strong confidence as one who probably pretty much F****ed up my kids.